


Stripping is Not Beautiful

by Dandy



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Stripper/Exotic Dancer, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-22
Updated: 2015-08-22
Packaged: 2018-04-16 13:59:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4627917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dandy/pseuds/Dandy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Don’t be boring, Rei-chan,” huffed Nagisa, flopping back down in his seat. “Watch the dancers! Aren’t they beautiful?”</p>
<p>“They aren’t,” he replied smoothly, and Nagisa rolled his eyes and went back to watching. And Rei stood firmly by that assessment, until <i>he</i> came on.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stripping is Not Beautiful

**Author's Note:**

> For a prompt asking for Rin/anybody, that police uniform, and that hip thrust.

“Stripping is not beautiful.”

Weeks ago, that was what he had insisted on. But Nagisa had wheedled, and wheedled, and wheedled, until Rei finally agreed to go with him, just once. It was a life experience they _needed_ to have, according to Nagisa, so they trooped together to a club downtown, Rei hoping desperately that no one from work would see him.

They went in, sat at a table near the front of the building. A lot of the people watching were women in tiny outfits, who cheered the strippers on while giggling at the inappropriateness of being there. Rei wasn’t sure what made him more out of place, his gender or his relatively classy, unrevealing clothing. 

Unlike his polo and slacks, Nagisa was wearing a flashy t-shirt and tight jeans, a leather jacket tossed casually across his chair. He seemed much more fitting as he cheered for the dancers, waving money around teasingly and giggling when one of the strippers blew him a kiss from on stage. “I think that one likes me, Rei-chan!”

“Mmhm,” replied Rei distractedly, glancing around to make sure no one was recognizing him. He wasn’t particularly enjoying any of this – not even the drink he’d bought was helping.

“Don’t be boring, Rei-chan,” huffed Nagisa, flopping back down in his seat. “Watch the dancers! Aren’t they beautiful?”

“They aren’t,” he replied smoothly, and Nagisa rolled his eyes and went back to watching. And Rei stood firmly by that assessment, until _he_ came on.

He was wearing a fake policeman’s uniform, complete with hat, and he walked out slowly to a sensual pop song Rei had never heard. He moved with precise, fluid movements to the music, all alone on stage and _owning_ it. He moved closer to the audience, hips gyrating smoothly in time, and Rei found he couldn’t take his eyes off him.

He was _gorgeous_.

Rei watched, enraptured, as he hopped off the stage, moving into the crowd to an eruption of cheers. He moved to different women in the crowd, giving them second-long lap dances or moving close as though to kiss them before pulling away. Women shoved bills into the waistband of his pants to encourage him.

And then he turned and came toward their table. Rei felt his heart jump into his throat in shock. The man grinned at him, _right at him_ , and his grin was sharp, teasing, but oddly inviting. He locked eyes with Rei, and Rei’s vision was filled with bright red, full of life and soul and focused all on him.

He couldn’t breath.

The stripper stopped at their table finally, dancing seductively in front of them. After a moment, he took off his hat, freeing a long, red ponytail, and put the hat on Rei’s head, leaning in so close as he did it that Rei could feel his breath, hot against his cheek.

Rei could have fainted. 

And then the moment was over. The dancer was gone, back on stage, pulling off his shirt and freeing his hair from its ponytail as Rei watched. His muscles were absolutely delicious. Rei was impressed by just how fit he was.

He’d hoped to see more, but that was as far as the dancer got before his routine was over, and he disappeared backstage while other dancers took their turn. He felt an overwhelming sense of disappointment, but it dissipated when he reached up and felt the hat still sitting on his head.

Nagisa was giggling, and had been for a while. “At least close your mouth, Rei-chan!”

Rei closed it with a snap, blushing furiously. “H-how long was I doing that…?”

“Pretty much the whole time,” replied Nagisa cheerfully, and Rei groaned and yanked the hat down to hide his face. The most beautiful man he’d ever seen had come right up to him, and he had gaped like a fish. How not beautiful. How _embarrassing_. 

“I take it you liked _that_ dancer, huh, Rei-chan?” asked Nagisa, and Rei could only sigh.

...

This was the fifth time he’d been back since the first time with Nagisa. He’d been alone those times, like he was then, and he hoped no one had found out about his once-a-week excursions to the strip club. 

He still didn’t find the other dancers particularly enticing (though he had grown a profound appreciation for what they were able to do, as an art form), only that one. He knew now that his name was Rin (no last names, though, for the protection of the dancers) and that he was a crowd favorite. He’d seen other dances of his, in a variety of outfits, and he’d gotten to see his toned legs as well as his arms and torso.

Every part of him was beautiful, and Rei was finding himself insatiable.

He sat close to the stage now, and he’d put several bills now in Rin’s pants, blushing every time. He didn’t try to talk to him or anything, tried not to bother him, because he surely didn’t want to be bothered and probably liked women anyway. He just wanted to watch, and maybe indulge the occasional fantasy, the occasional dream that Rin the dancer appeared at his house, pulling off his clothes just for Rei this time.

When the show was over, he went to clear his tab at the bar. He’d trailed behind most of the other patrons and was the last to walk to the door, nodding to the bartender as he left.

When he rounded the corner to the exit, he saw a figure leaning on the wall right by the door, and his heart stopped.

He _had_ to be dreaming.

Rin grinned at him, smoothing back his hair idly with a hand. He was wearing a white t-shirt and jeans, a jacket folded over his arm, and the casual clothing made him look different, down-to-earth, but no less beautiful.

For a moment, Rei hesitated, and then he shook himself out of his trance. There was no way Rin was waiting here for _him_ \- maybe his friends were still backstage, or he was waiting for the bartender, anything else. Rei was, after all, just a random patron, and this was just a coincidence.

He nodded politely at Rin and started to walk past him, only to stop when he felt a hand touch his arm lightly.

“Hey.”

Now he knew he must be dreaming. This is how some of them started, after all. Rei stopped, turning back to Rin and hoping he didn’t look too dumbfounded.

“Um. Hi?”

Maybe he was imagining it, but Rin looked a little nervous as he smiled back at him, pushing his hair back again. “So some of the other guys are starting to call you my fanboy. I’ve never really had a regular before.”

Rei wondered how that could possibly be, how anyone who saw him dance once wouldn’t want to keep coming back. Instead, he said, “I watch the others, too.”

“Yeah, but they all notice you’re more interested in me.” He shrugged, looking away a little, like he was nervous that he might be wrong. He was much more bashful than Rei had imagined, but it only made him more endearing.

“Anyway, I guess I just wanted to meet my biggest fan,” he continued, turning back and smiling at Rei. His smile made Rei feel weak in the knees. “I’m Rin, but I guess you know that.”

“I’m Rei. Rei Ryugazaki,” he answered quickly. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you, too.”

They stood awkwardly in the hall for a moment, then Rin tilted his head a little and said, “You’re not a psycho or anything, right?”

Rei gaped. “Huh!?”

“I mean, you don’t look like one, but I have to be careful, right?” He laughed, like he was teasing, but Rei couldn’t stop blushing.

“N-no. I mean, I admit that I’m very… attracted to you, but I promise, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable or-“

“It’s fine, it’s fine.” Rin waved his hand. “I just wanted to know, because you’re, uh… you’re really cute.”

He slipped his hand up to his neck, looking away again. Rei hoped that if this was a dream, no one would wake him up.

“Rin-san,” he ventured, slowly, not sure what the protocol was for asking a stripper a question like this. “If… if this isn’t an inappropriate question, I was just wondering if you would… if you would please…”

“Join you for dinner?” Rin supplied.

“Yes. Join me for dinner.”

“Okay,” Rin agreed, and now he was blushing, which was ridiculous, because Rei didn’t see how _he_ was getting anything out of this deal. “I’d like that.”

“Then let’s go. My treat.”

They went. They had a great time. And as Rei kissed Rin goodnight outside his apartment for the first time, he thought that he was going to have to tell Nagisa thank you.


End file.
